4 1/2 STARS! An exciting kick-off to a new series, Ballistic Cowboys, from Elle James! We meet a handful of military guys from various branches who are being pulled in to work on a task force for Homeland Security. Each book will center on a different guy, and to kick it off, we have Ghost's story! The characters are down to earth guys who are serious about their jobs and protecting the innocent. I enjoyed the reunion story for Ghost and seeing him soften when he interacts with her little girl. Navy SEAL Jon "Ghost" Caspar is on temporary assignment with a Homeland Security task force that has brought him back to his hometown of Grizzly Pass, Wyoming for the first time in seven years. He's being sent to protect a single mother and her daughter after some threats have been made on her since she turned in some intel. Charlie McClain never thought she'd see her former lover again after he left town, so when he comes knocking at her door, she's shocked. She's still drawn to him the same as she ever was, but she knows if he hangs around too long, he'll figure out the secret she kept from him. Seeing him interact so sweetly with her young daughter makes her heart melt though, and has her second guessing whether she was in the right with her previous decisions in life. Will he decide she's worth sticking around for this time, or will the end of this mission see him taking off again?